Anthem

SETTING
All through out a citizens life they live collectively together with all the children of the City
who had been born in the same year. The sleeping halls there were white and clean and bare of
things save one hundred beds. (20)
Uncharted Forest- trees taller then we had ever seen before stood over us in a great silence (75)
moss as soft as a cushion (78)
CHARACTERS
Fill in the boxes below with an analysis for each character. Analysis means that
you provide a description of each character, as well as a discussion about how each
particular character influences the development of other characters, advances a
particular theme or the plot, or the symbolic meaning of a character and his/her
name. You should also note who is narrating the story and whether or not the story
switches narrators.
MAIN
CHARACTERS
Equality- 7-2521
(Narrator)
Summary of
traits: Superior
to others,
flawed
(according to his
society) looks
different,
thinks
different,
disobeys the
collective,
points out flaws
in the collective

DESCRIPTION/ANALYSIS (WITH PAGE NUMBERS)

Timeline/summary- As child he is different, seeks knowledge
and is superior to others. Seeks to be like others when younger,
Life mandate of street sweeper is opportunity to atone. After 4
years of his job stumbles across the underground tunnel. This
and him are catalysts. He discovers electricity. Seeks to share it
with the world. Scholars reject him and idea. Runs away with the
golden one and starts a new society
we are six feet tall, and this a burden for there are not many
men who are six feet tall. Teachers and the Leaders pointed to
us and frowned and said: there is evil in your bones, Equality 72521, for your body has grown beyond the bodies of your
brothers(18)
He is different, we alone who were born with a curse(20)
As a young child he fought with our brothers- shows he was
born with the ability/drive/ideology to bring down or go against
the collective society and bring about one that everyone fights
for what they want.
He strives to be like our brother men(19)
He is superior, learning was to easy. This is a great sin, to be
born with a head that is too quick. It is not good do be different
from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them. The

teachers told us so, and they frowned when they looked upon
us.(21)
He fought against this curse he even tried to forget our
lessons, but we always remembered. Even superior to teachers,
We tried not understand what the Teachers taught, but we
always understood it before the teachers had spoken.(21)
Wishes to be like Union
Seeks knowledge We asked so many questions that the
Teachers forbade it (23)
He "wished not to be a Leader, even though it is a great honor. We
wished to be a Scholar." (25) Although he becomes a leader, as he
leads society towards I.
Sees life mandate of street sweeper as way to atone for sins (26)
we raised our right arm and we spoke, and our voice was the
clearest, the steadiest voice in the hall that day, and we said: The
will of our brothers be done. (26) irony, has a lowly position even
though he posses skills of a leader/scholar shown by clarity of
thought and voice.
International 4-8818 stepped back. But we pulled at the grill
and it gave way. And then we saw iron rings as steps leading
down a shaft into a darkness without bottom. (31)
Then we saw that the eyes of International 4-8818 were full to
the lids with tears they dared not drop. They whispered, and
their voice trembled, so that their words lost all shape: The will
of the Council is above all things for it is the will of our
brothers, which is holy. Rather shall we be evil with you then
good with all our brothers. May they Council have mercy upon
both our hearts
even International 4-8818 pales in comparison to Equality.
Hear is used instead of soul, a common word in todays
society, not used because it implies individuality. Heart is
common and in everyone.
"We wish to write this name. We wish to speak it, but we dare not
speak it above a whisper. For men are forbidden to take notice of
women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men. But we

think of one among women, they whose name is Liberty 5-3000, and
we think of no others. The women who have been assigned to work
the soil live in the Homes of the Peasants beyond the City. Where
the City ends there is a great road winding off to the north, and we
Street Sweepers must keep this road clean to the first milepost.
There is a hedge along the road, and beyond the hedge lie the
fields. The fields are black and ploughed, and they lie like a great fan
before us, with their furrows gathered in some hand beyond the sky,
spreading forth from that hand, opening wide apart as they come
toward us, like black pleats that sparkle with thin, green spangles.
Women work in the fields, and their white tunics in the wind are like
the wings of sea-gulls beating over the black soil." (38)
"And there it was that we saw Liberty 5-3000 walking along the
furrows. Their body was straight and thin as a blade of iron. Their
eyes were dark and hard and glowing, with no fear in them, no
kindness and no guilt. Their hair was golden as the sun; their hair
flew in the wind, shining and wild, as if it defied men to restrain it.
They threw seeds from their hand as if they deigned to fling a
scornful gift, and the earth was a beggar under their feet." (38)
"We stood still; for the first time did we know fear, and then pain. And
we stood still that we might not spill this pain more precious than
pleasure." (39)

Union 5-3992
Summary: Dumb,
goes along with
others,

who were a pale boy with only half a brain(21)

are a sickly lad and sometimes they are stricken with
convulsions, when their mouth froths and their eyes turn white
(29)

The Collective
of WE/
Authority

We are one in all and all in one,. There are no men but only the
great WE, One indivisible and forever. (19)
those times were evil. And those times passed away, when men
saw the Great Truth which is this: that all men are one and that
there is no will save the will of all men together.(20)
the teachers were just, for they had been appointed by the

International 4-

Councils, and the Councils are the voice of all justice, for they
are the voice of all men.(22)
The Council of Vocations knows in its great wisdom where you
are needed by your brother men, than you can know it in your
unworthy little minds (22)
great Transgression of Preference. We preferred some work
and lessons to others.(22)
the Council of Scholars has said that there are no mysteries,
and the Council of Scholars knows all things(23)
Primitive ideas taught- the world is flat and that the sun
revolves around it names of all the winds how to bleed men to
cure them of all ailments
Restricts knowledge We asked so many questions that the
Teachers forbade it (23)
Slow/dumb society- all of the great modern inventions came
form the home of the scholars, such as the newest one, which we
found only a hundred years ago, of how to make candles for wax
and string (24)
"They sat before us and they did not move. And we saw no breath to
stir the folds of their white togas. But we knew that they were alive"
(26)- represents society, death is in the air, if it not for peoples
movement it would seems as if they were all dead. (dead inside?)
And we looked straight into the eyes of the Council, but their eyes
were as cold blue glass buttons.(26) continues idea of lifelessness
when the bell rings, we all arise from our beds. (27) (more
description of day on page) whole day is on a schedule, no freedom.
it is not proper to smile without reason only our brothers in the
House of the Artists who are permitted to draw pictures, so
International 4-8818 were sent to the Home of the Street
Sweepers, like ourselves. (29)- ones with talent are ignored and
seen as trouble.
what is not done collectively cannot be good (International 15537, page 73)
Blind to power of electricity- it would bring ruin to the
Department The Candles. The Candle is a great boon to mankind,
and is approved by all men. There-fore it cannot be destroyed by
the whim of one Harmony 9-2642 (73)
they are tall, strong youth and their eyes are like fireflies, for

8818

there is laughter in their eyes. We cannot look upon

International 4-8818 and not smile in answer. For this they were
not like in the Home of the students. they were not liked
because they took pieces of coal and they drew pictures upon
the walls, and they were pictures which made men laugh. But it is
only our brothers in the House of the Artists who are permitted
to draw pictures, so International 4-8818 were sent to the
Home of the Street Sweepers, like ourselves. (29-30)
International 4-8818, we asked will you report us to the Council
and see us lashed to death before your eyes? rather would we
die (34)

Liberty 5-3000

"They turned in a whirl and the movement of their body stopped, as

if slashed off, as suddenly as it had started. They stood still as a
stone, and they looked straight upon us, straight into our eyes. There
was no smile on their face, and no welcome. But their face was taut,
and their eyes were dark. Then they turned as swiftly, and they
walked away from us." (40)
we call them the Golden One. The Golden One is are not like the
others. (41)
"Still, without reason, as we stood there by the hedge, we felt our
lips drawn tight with hatred, a sudden hatred for all our brother men.
And the Golden One saw it and smiled slowly, and there was in their
smile the first sadness we had seen in them. We think that in the
wisdom of women the Golden One had understood more than we
can understand."

MINOR
CHARACTERS
Collective 0-0009
(representing Council
of scholars)

DESCRIPTION/ANALYSIS (WITH PAGE NUMBERS)

Speaking to Equality- a wretch who have broken all the laws and who
boast of their infamy! How dared you think that your mind held greater
wisdom than the minds of your brothers? how dared you think that
you could be of greater use to men than in sweeping the streets? (72)

Democracy 4-6998
Harmony 9-2642

You shall be burned at the stake- ironic, states punishment. NO

TRIAL?!?!?!
Blind to power of electricity- it would bring ruin to the
Department The Candles. The Candle is a great boon to
mankind, and is approved by all men. There-fore it cannot be
destroyed by the whim of one

SYMBOLISM
Each of the following items listed below are symbolic. That means that they stand
for something other than what they are literally. Interpret each symbol below.
Document the page number(s) where you found the example or examples from the
text that support your interpretation.
SYMBOL

INTERPRETATION WITH PAGE NUMBER OF

SUPPORTING EXAMPLE

The House
I vs. WE

Capitalism vs. Communism.

What is: Good vs

Bad

"Strange are the ways of evil. We are false in the faces of our
brothers. We are defying the will of our Councils. We alone, of
the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are
doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do it.
The evil of our crime is not for the human mind to probe. The
nature of our punishment, if it be discovered, is not for the
human heart to ponder. Never, not in the memory of the Ancient
Ones Ancients, never have men done that which we are doing."
(36)
"And yet there is no shame in us and no regret. We say to
ourselves that we are a wretch and a traitor. But we feel no
burden upon our spirit and no fear in our heart. And it seems to
us that our spirit is clear as a lake troubled by no eyes save
those of the sun. And in our heart strange are the ways of evil!
in our heart there is the first peace we have known in twenty
years." (37)

THEMES
Find examples of the following themes listed below. Document page numbers.
THEME

EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT WITH PAGE

NUMBERS

I vs. WE
Equalitys Curse

our curse broke our will, it was our curse

which drove us to our final crime. (29)

INTERESTING!
Write down the page numbers of something you find intriguing or interesting about
the novel. Discuss why you find it interesting or intriguing, and document the page
number so that you can share it with the class.
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I DONT GET IT!

The Council of Vocations knows in its great wisdom where you are needed by your
brother men, than you can know it in your unworthy little minds (22)Council is made up of men who have little unworthy minds?
International 4-8818, we asked will you report us to the Council and see us lashed
to death before your eyes? rather would we die (34)either way he would die
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CONFLICTS
Document any conflicts that arise between characters.

CHARACTERS
Equality

CONFLICT
Self conflict. He knows All men are
good and wise. It is only we, Equality 72521, we alone who were born with a
curse.(20)

LITERARY DEVICES AND INTERESTING/SIGNIFICANT QUOTES

Document examples of literary devices, and keep a list of significant quotes on the
bottom of this page and the back of this page. REMEMBER TO DOCUMENT PAGE
NUMBERS!
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Type of Literary Device
Allusion
metaphor

Effect/Analysis

Page Number

foreshadowing
Flashback
Repetition

Shows plain society

The sleeping halls there were

white and clean and bare of
things save one hundred
beds. (20) (28)

WRITING STYLE
You should also take note of how the author chooses to write. Analyze his/her use
of specific phrases, diction, syntax, metaphor, and how he/she uses other literary
devices. What conclusion(s) have you drawn about this authors particular writing
style? Use examples from the text to support your assertions. Document the page
numbers.
Book is written mostly in plural, which is meant to emphasize the extreme of the collective
society, and highlight when Equality learns of I. The purpose of the book is to illustrate the
weaknesses involved in a collective society. WE is a dystopian society and is portrayed
negatively. The restraints imposed on men and ideas, the primitive way of life and the way
society is plain lead the reader to believe collectivism is bad in its entirety. The use of plural
shows the lost individual
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